I don't. I wait until I get the product in my hands. Only because I have had to send back assignments and if it gets discounted or is out of stock for sometime, the assignment might need to be canceled. So, I won't be writing the review.

On my most recent review (which was a glass toy) I did start organizing in my head a section of the review that was about how safe glass toys are. I didn't start writing it, but I did start getting the outline organized in my head before I had the toy in my hands.

Do you ever start early, that is, before you get the item, on a review of a product? Particularly if the product is, for example, a material and/or a brand you know well.

If you do start early, what sections do you begin with?

yeah i could never start before having the product - i just really need it in my hands to get inspired to write about it. the way it performs and is in person affects the entirety of the review in a large way, so it wouldn't make sense to start writing about it when i'd probably just re-write everything when i finally tested it out.

Sometimes I start the materials section (i.e. find anew way to say silicone=good)before i get the product, a few times is rated an intro explaining why I got the toy if I thought that was something I want to include in the final review.

No. I've done quite a few reviews on products from the same company (DreamGirl, Coquette, etc) but I can't base quality or feel of a material, etc on past experience because not every piece is the same (if that even makes sense). I can't write a single word until I receive the product.

I start writing it in my head the moment I get the email saying my order has been shipped. I start thinking about how I want to write about the anticipation and how I might incorporate the technical details like size and shape and such in a new way.

I wait till I actually have used the toy for a while before I write the review.

Do you ever start early, that is, before you get the item, on a review of a product? Particularly if the product is, for example, a material and/or a brand you know well.

If you do start early, what sections do you begin with?

I chose other because where I start, really isnt part of the review. Yea, it'll be in the review but its why I picked it, what I'm hoping for, and expecting. That way I can compare and contrast in the review. That way if someone is looking at it and thinking the same things they can see how the hopes reflected in the actual product.

I don't see how someone could start writing a review for an item they don't have. One thing that I will do is make a list of questions I have about the product before I get it so I can include the answers to those questions in my review.

I usually at least outline a few notes of what I want to cover. I'll sometimes do a little research into the company (especially if it's one I'm not familiar with) or collection that the product is from, so I'll have that background info ready. (For example, if it's a company that only makes vegan products, or if the lingerie is part of a collection with several items that match.)

There's obviously not a LOT you can do in advance, but I like to at least have a few ideas ready to go to make it easier when I actually start the review. Notes like how I expect to use it or questions I had before getting it come in handy later.

Whatever you do, do NOT start writing a review until after you've used the product. As Silverdrop pointed out, if there's an issue with the product and the assignment is canceled, you'll have a forever incomplete review staring at you.